tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post6387767066768244260..comments2024-02-25T08:24:32.822+00:00Comments on Confessions of a Sewing Novice: Longevity and sewing my wardrobewestmoonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05305132395354227560noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-29834384826891104792015-07-15T02:30:11.245+01:002015-07-15T02:30:11.245+01:00The notions! I can buy decent bras without spendin...The notions! I can buy decent bras without spending an arm and a leg...just that I tend to have to buy online. I am not that interested in experimenting with the bra fitting and sewing. <br /><br />Meh. <br /><br />I got over my swimwear excitement pretty quickly too!SewCraftyChemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07971798108420431518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-87635429833359828392015-07-14T20:59:04.710+01:002015-07-14T20:59:04.710+01:00I am not really sure why so many people are going ...I am not really sure why so many people are going nuts over sewing bras at the moment! I mean, never say never, but for me, I can't see the appeal of all that super tiny fiddly seam sewing, not to mention how hard it is to even get the notions etc.<br /><br />I've pretty much decided that my goal is probably to have a wardrobe that hovers around the 2/3 to 3/4 hand-made ratio. At the moment I'm at around 30%, so I still have a long way to go before I even get there!westmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305132395354227560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-24590579451592607952015-07-14T20:55:48.591+01:002015-07-14T20:55:48.591+01:00I've been sewing clothes for just over 3 years...I've been sewing clothes for just over 3 years, and there's literally nothing in my wardrobe that I made myself that is more than 18 months old. All of my early stuff was legit completely terrible. Just keep plodding up that learning curve and you'll get there!westmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305132395354227560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-11817032060506534492015-07-13T15:34:15.622+01:002015-07-13T15:34:15.622+01:00Yes, I consider myself a beginner even though I...Yes, I consider myself a beginner even though I've been sewing on and off for a few years. Most of my wearable wardrobe is rtw. Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11688809657787883372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-20525353785357401922015-07-13T12:55:44.568+01:002015-07-13T12:55:44.568+01:00This was quite fascinating and I love that you hav...This was quite fascinating and I love that you have gathered all this data! <br /><br />I think it's great to see suggestions like this from "better" sewers (you know what I mean), but then to take it and apply that to your own reality. <br /><br />So like you say, you like lightweight knit dresses and tops...that need be machine laundered...so you already KNOW that the likelihood of years of wear from those are slim. And that's okay! <br /><br />In my last gig I was prone to ruining clothes; the nature of the job. So the idea of using expensive wool to make trousers or to spend three months sewing a blazer was laughable. Hey, I love those garments when other people made them but they made NO sense for my own life. <br /><br />I also think some things aren't worth sewing, and that list varies based on the individual (eg I'm not interested in sewing bras), so if you need it and can buy it RTW, buy it! :)<br />SewCraftyChemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07971798108420431518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-22393410302546588872015-07-13T08:08:03.853+01:002015-07-13T08:08:03.853+01:00Are you just in the process of learning to sew? I ...Are you just in the process of learning to sew? I definitely didn't wear most of the first things I made at all, maybe a couple of times each at most, even the things that turned out reasonably well. These days though it's unusual for me NOT to be wearing something I sewed for myself, as I've become more competent at making the things I like to wear. There is a HUGE learning curve I think to get to the point where you start to make things that are legitimately on a par with what you consider to be normal/comfortable fit in RTW, and I think you do have to learn to be fine with the fact that a lot of early projects are going to have "argh, no, fling it in the bin" or "I can wear this but do I really want to?" outcomes.westmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305132395354227560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-47180303113217370442015-07-13T08:01:11.065+01:002015-07-13T08:01:11.065+01:00I do make a lot of the same patterns over and over...I do make a lot of the same patterns over and over as well! I'm a big fan of the TNT.westmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305132395354227560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-56297485694195577662015-07-13T08:00:34.641+01:002015-07-13T08:00:34.641+01:00It probably helps that I'm a data gathering ne...It probably helps that I'm a data gathering nerd by profession as well as preference -- apparently my instinct when faced with the unknown is to record everything I can and analyse it to death.<br /><br />To an extent I've already started to try to sew for longevity -- I've been putting a lot more effort into finishing my garments over the last 12 months than previously, with somewhat mixed results (some things really worked well, but on the other hand my new linen shirt shredded the first time I washed it despite my best efforts in this respect). So it is a bit of an on-going project I guess!westmoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05305132395354227560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-87101631682293475942015-07-13T00:01:25.777+01:002015-07-13T00:01:25.777+01:00I don't know about anyone else, but I'm mo...I don't know about anyone else, but I'm more likely to keep rtw five years or more than something I've made. I had not thought about this until I read your post. Everything I make is either a wearable muslin or a wearable wadder. Some items never get worn, some are pitched immediately. Interesting.Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11688809657787883372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-66053459647414041852015-07-12T21:52:09.215+01:002015-07-12T21:52:09.215+01:00I sew multiples.of pieces that I really like. But...I sew multiples.of pieces that I really like. But then, I'm the type who buys one in every color that suits me and 2 or 3 in black and white when I come across something that works for me in rtw. Right now I'm sewing 4 of the same style knit top because I love the style on me! A lot of people do this. If it works, go with it. And when it wears out, make more if it still works for u. Good luck!Summerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02916907167958911607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1157694539788402550.post-26465014732354719302015-07-12T19:42:56.655+01:002015-07-12T19:42:56.655+01:00I'm impressed and slightly intimidated by your...I'm impressed and slightly intimidated by your obsessive data-gathering! This seems like a great project to get to know your habits and where things could use some improvement as you sew more and more of your wardrobe. <br /><br />Thinking about it, I don't know how many of my things are more than 5 years old. My size changed a bit (not too drastically) about a year and a half ago, so I've been phasing in smaller things that fit properly. It would be interesting to track just how long I keep and wear the things I'm making now--you're tempting me to start my own spreadsheet!<br /><br />I'm very interested in hearing about any new, sturdier pieces you make, and especially what you're doing differently to make them so!<br /><br />Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08666908684995306704noreply@blogger.com